


had i but time

by isometric



Category: Hamlet - Shakespeare, SHAKESPEARE William - Works
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fix-It of Sorts, Friendship, Gen, Mending friendships, Trauma Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:53:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24758881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isometric/pseuds/isometric
Summary: (—oh, I could tell you)A year on, things are different.
Relationships: Hamlet & Horatio, Horatio & Ophelia
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	had i but time

**Author's Note:**

> 
>       [ah, tonight I want you saints
>     ah, I want you to signal the end, saints](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VpEUya1qBI)
>     
> 
>   
> 

“Things are all right on our end," Horatio says. "Did you eat the soup?"

"Yes," comes Hamlet's voice, after a beat. "It was— It was good." After another beat, he adds, "Ros had some, too—"

"That's all right, Hamlet—"

"—he came back late, and Guil was already asleep, so I—" The sound of something clattering sounds through the phone, tinny and muffled. "I said he could—" Another beat. “I’m sorry."

Horatio waits patiently for him to finish. "It's all right, Hamlet," he says. "She won't mind. They're her friends too."

"Okay," Hamlet says miserably.

"She made it for you, so you can share it how you like."

"Okay," Hamlet says again. His voice is small and thin, so different from what it was before. Horatio's heart aches for him. "It was good. Can you tell her that?"

Horatio hesitates at the request. No matter that it's a small one, inconsequential in the face of things, but one request could lead to another. That’s the whole reason they’re here, speaking once a week through the phone, Horatio playing middleman between his best friend and his ex-girl. Because Hamlet always took things too far, and Ophelia had trouble saying no.

She's learning to, though. She's doing better, day by day. Horatio has to remind himself that. He can’t let his self-loathing and guilt take precedence over her recovery. He can’t let his love for Hamlet cloud his duty. Hamlet still has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; Ophelia only has Horatio.

He must have taken too long to respond, for Hamlet makes a noise of distress and hurriedly adds, “Never mind, it’s not a big deal, I—”

“I’ll tell her,” Horatio cuts in gently. “That you and Ros enjoyed it.”

“...Thank you,” Hamlet says.

The conversation continues. Hamlet doesn’t slip up again. His voice stays steady throughout the call, despite everything. He doesn’t mention Ophelia again, focusing instead on the minutiae of his week, the outings Rosencrantz and Guildenstern take him on, his appointment with Dr. Marcellus, the journal he’s started writing. All good signs, because that means he’s doing better.

Guildenstern had said as much, when Horatio met him for lunch a couple days before, eyes distant. _Maybe he could even meet with you soon_ , he'd said, and Horatio had smiled and nodded and did not refuse on the spot.

“Laertes came by, the other day,” Hamlet says. “He brought apples.”

“That’s good,” Horatio says, making sure his tone does not betray how conflicted he feels.

There is resentment, a lot of it, because despite everything, Hamlet is still his best friend, and now Hamlet might not ever walk again. Because Ophelia had been alone, left at the mercy of those who should have had her best interests at heart; because Ophelia should have come first, always, and now her brother brings apples to the man who had hurt her the most.

But there is also gratitude, much more of it.

Dr. Fortinbras had asked Horatio once, months ago, what his motivation was for throwing himself into this situation. _Is it the guilt_ , he’d asked, _that drives you to take care of her? Because you stood by and watched and let it all happen?_ Horatio took a breath and another and then hyperventilated, but in the end, strengthened by months of therapy, he said simply, _because I love her_.

Because she deserves better. He'd give her the world if he could.

Dr. Fortinbras said, not unkindly, _she loves you too. She wouldn’t want you to have traded one set of shackles for another. Don’t you think it’s time you do better by you as well?_

“I’m glad,” Horatio says. “You seem to be doing better.”

“Yes, Dr. Marcellus said the same. He thought I could have my own room soon.”

Guil had mentioned that. He and Ros would surely be pleased to have a room to themselves, too. Horatio says, “I’m proud of you.”

For a moment, there is only silence. Then he hears Hamlet take a deep breath. Shakily, Hamlet says, “Thank you.” He exhales sharply, the sound long and upsetting, and then, like an afterthought, he says, “Ophelia, is she—”

He cuts himself off before Horatio can do it for him, clearly remembering the conditions of the phone call. Ophelia doesn’t want to talk to him, perhaps never will, and Hamlet is not to ask after her, not under any circumstances. He’d tried to send her things before, apology letters and gifts, back when Horatio was angrier and less inclined to be kind, and Horatio had returned them without a word. He still remembers the way Rosencrantz’ face fell at the sight.

But Hamlet’s better now. He’s learned to distance himself from Ophelia. He’s stopped making requests of Horatio, mostly, and chooses his words more carefully, aware of the effect they have on Horatio, who could never say no either. He tries his best to fit within the limits all of them have built to save their fragile relationships. Soon, he’ll get his own room, and one day, he’ll be allowed to go out by himself—and Horatio already knows that they won’t even have to ask him to keep away from Ophelia once given the privilege to move about on his own.

He’s doing better. They’re all doing better.

“Thank you,” Hamlet says. He says it so much now. Thank you for staying. For forgiving me. For being my friend. An alarm beeps from his end of the call. “That’s the time. Talk to you next week?”

Horatio smiles and says, “I’ll look forward to it.”

  


* * *

  


Ophelia and Rosencrantz are on the couch, laughing at Ros' laptop screen, when he comes back into the house. They’re watching Avatar on Netflix, a show Ophelia had gushed about shyly when asked. Horatio spares a moment to watch the two of them, the comfortable way they settle against each other, heads huddled together.

There was a time when Ophelia tolerated only Horatio’s touch and presence. Everyone else had been too involved with Hamlet, were too much a reminder of Hamlet’s pull and influence. Horatio was the only exception, because he’d willingly broken himself away from his best friend, made the choice to sever ties. Now, she regularly spends time with Ros and Guil, frequently has Laertes over to try out different recipes, and has even begun responding to Gertrude’s texts.

Ophelia looks up at his entrance and smiles.

That’s progress too. Back when the mere mention of Hamlet made her shake, she didn’t want to know when Horatio called him, wanted to pretend Hamlet never existed at all, even though she was the one to encourage Horatio to make the calls. He had to ask Rosencrantz to come over to distract her; Horatio would use running errands as an excuse, perhaps groceries or something about the office needing him, and step out for the call, and Rosencrantz would stay to watch over her in his stead. Now, Rosencrantz comes, not in duty, but simply because he and Ophelia want to hang out. Horatio can step out for his call, and know that doing so isn’t hurting her anymore.

She and Hamlet might not ever reconcile, but that’s all right. She can set her own boundaries. She can make him soup. She doesn’t ask about him, but his existence doesn’t hurt as much anymore. Horatio is a creature of regret, full of love but no way to show it, but he looks at her, and knows he made the right choice.

It’s been a year. She’s doing better. They all are.

Later, long after Rosencrantz has left, they head out for their nightly evening stroll. Ophelia’s got her arm around Horatio’s, her long hair braided into a crown bun. She’s talking about her day and her plans for tomorrow. Guil called earlier for a raincheck on their picnic, having misread the weather report. Laertes will be over the day after tomorrow, and they’ll visit Polonius at the ICU after lunch while Horatio heads down to the office to settle a dispute.

A few strands fall from Ophelia's braid. Horatio smooths them from her face, already calculating how to braid it better next time. Perhaps he’ll weave in some flowers, too.

“Do you think my father will ever wake up?” she asks suddenly, a non-sequitur that almost startles him.

The doctors aren’t very optimistic, but Horatio has to have hope. Claudius did, after all. He says, “I’m sure he will. He loves you and Laertes too much not to.”

Ophelia sighs a wispy sigh, but she leans her head against Horatio’s upper arm and doesn’t say anything else. They continue to walk, Ophelia’s humming carrying softly on the cool evening breeze. All around them, the rain continues to fall, plinking gently against the umbrella. Horatio breathes in, again and again, listens to the sound of water and Ophelia’s songs.

**Author's Note:**

> Had I but time—as this fell sergeant, Death,  
> Is strict in his arrest—O, I could tell you—
> 
> Hamlet, act 5 scene 2 line 322-323
> 
> AU written because I love Ophelia and want to give her and Horatio a happy end. Everyone lives in England, and with the exception of Horatio, everyone is from a super wealthy family. The royal family aren't royalty, and instead own a mega-company that Polonius and Ros&Guil's parents work at as executives.
> 
> Here, Polonius survives his stabbing, and he and Ophelia get the help they need to recover. Laertes finds out, comes back from France to beat Hamlet up. Both of them get very hurt via mutual stabbing: it's not mentioned, but Hamlet fractures his spine and Laertes will need a cane to walk.
> 
> Europe doesn't have the death penalty, Hamlet doesn't have the power to ask another country to execute Ros&Guil anyway, so he tries to have them involuntarily committed (to a hospital) instead. They get pulled out later with Gertrude's help.
> 
> Claudius, living in the 21st century, realizes poisoning people is a dumbass idea and doesn't try it. He still gets stabbed though, but he's younger and healthier than Polonius and thus recovers much faster. Gertrude exiles him to the US and they never hear from him again (no consequences for him because rich people, but now he gets to deal with the US healthcare system).
> 
> Gertrude survives the entire thing unscathed and takes over the family company, and is the reason everything runs smoothly and nothing gets leaked to the media. She pays for everyone's therapy / recovery costs and gives everyone a stipend to live on, which is important because Hamlet and Ophelia are deemed dangerous to themselves and aren't allowed (nor able) to be on their own. Ros&Guil forgive Hamlet and take him in, while Horatio steps up and takes responsibility for Ophelia; the houses are located in different neighbourhoods, which Gertrude paid for. To mitigate caretaker fatigue, Horatio will ask Laertes or Ros&Guil to watch over Ophelia, and Ros&Guil will take either turns staying with Hamlet or ask Laertes.
> 
> Laertes finishes his degree back in England but lives on his own, at first because his visible wounds and limping triggered Ophelia, later because Ophelia actually likes living with Horatio and doesn't want to deal with a nagging brother.
> 
> Ophelia and Hamlet eventually "reconcile" in that she forgives him, but they stay as "acquaintances" who happen to have the same friends. She continues to make him soup, eventually branching out to different recipes and then starting her own restaurant (rich people financing). Hamlet goes back to school and becomes a poet. Ros&Guil stay rich and unemployed, but they are unofficially Hamlet's agents/live-in helpers. Horatio becomes a writer, and he and Hamlet have a great time commiserating about writer's block. Laertes decides to work his way up in the company and eventually takes back Polonius' position.
> 
> For the sake of a happy ending, Polonius does wake up.


End file.
